The Green Carpet Affair

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with artist Jay Coleman about an upcoming event in Eastern Market called “The Green Carpet Affair”. This event will include a musical performance by hip-hop musician Christylez Bacon, a live art installation to music by Jay Coleman (which will be auctioned off at the end of the evening), and award-winning craft beer and organic food. “The Green Carpet Affair” will benefit local non-profit, DC Greenworks and is slated to take place on Wednesday, August 25th from 6:00PM-9:30 PM at Eastern Market’s North Hall.

During our conversation Jay Coleman explained his involvement with “The Green Carpet Affair”. I learned Coleman is not only an artist who has painted portraits of diplomats and other well known government officials, but he is a special education teacher as well. He started an organization called Slickfish aimed at introducing kids in the community to fresh, new ways of thinking about the environment and the importance of being green. One way Slickfish does this is by teaching kids how to build saltwater fish tanks and breeding exotic animals to inhabit these tanks. Jay Coleman explained that many studies have shown saltwater fish tanks to be extremely theraputic for mentally and emotionally challenged children. For more information on Slickfish, please go to www.slickfish.org.

Jay Coleman’s resume continues as he is also known for his live mural work. His work has been used in advertisements for well known companies such as Adidas, Heineken and Disney. For “The Green Carpet Affair” Coleman doesn’t plan on creating anything too outlandish or controversial. Instead, he is focusing on making a piece of work that will really cause people to think about the importance of being green and taking care of our environment. With the many natural disasters and recent oil spill in the Gulf now, more than ever, it is time to protect and nurture the environment around us. During the event, he will most likely paint directly onto a large stretch of canvas that will be stapled to a wall.

“The Green Carpet Affair” promises to be much more than a social gathering. It is a benefit aimed at inspiring DC residents to come together and learn about unassuming, everyday actions and long-term steps that will help reduce the District’s carbon footprint. The event is free and there is a suggested donation of $12. For more information on Jay Coleman, please visit www.ausenart.com